Is Chocolate Erotic?

Chocolate has long been considered an aphrodisiac, and studies show that it can boost blood flow and brain neurotransmitters. To test its sexual effect, a team led by Andrea Salonia of University Vita-Salute San Raffaele in Milan studied 120 women who regularly ate chocolate daily and 33 women who ate none. Based on surveys, the chocolate eaters initially appeared to have higher sexual desire and function than the abstainers. But younger women ate more chocolate than older women, and once the researchers took into account age and body-mass index, they found no significant difference between the groups, suggesting that chocolate may not affect sexual response after all. It is known to enhance mood, however. In this study, more women reported eating chocolate daily than drinking wine or beer.